Patch 5.4 patch notes
Virtual Realms feature revealed
The Proving Grounds are coming
The latest patch 5.4 newsAlex Afrasiabi and Tom Chilton on Cataclysm
by Matthew Rossi 
Dec 9th 2010 at 7:00PM
If you're interested in hearing from the horse's mouth what Blizzard was thinking when it implemented Kezan or redesigned your favorite zone, here's your chance.
World of Warcraft: Cataclysm has destroyed Azeroth as we know it; nothing is the same! In WoW Insider's Guide to Cataclysm, you can find out everything you need to know about WoW's third expansion, from brand new races to revamped quests and zones. Visit our Cataclysm news category for the most recent posts having to do with the Cataclysm expansion.Filed under: News items, Cataclysm
Reader Comments (Page 2 of 2)
Kaphik Dec 10th 2010 11:31AM
Funny thing about the beginning of an expansion...healers tend to run out of mana while leveling and gearing up in the new instances. We did it during TBC, especially once you hit Shadow Labyrinth and Arcatraz, we did it in Wrath especially in Halls of LIghtning and Utgarde PInnacle, and we're doing it now in Cataclsym. It took a few months of running heroics for gear before we stopped having mana problems, although in Wrath after a year or so mana became almost a non issue.
So, if you're going oom, then your group is too blame. All the melee have some form of sel healing they can and should be using, ranged has ways to protect themselves a bit, and most importantly if you are using crowd control healing is less intensive. I ran Stonecore with one group and we CC'd most of the mobs except for one or two in each pull, and the healer barely went a third of the way down in mana. I ran it again with another group of friends, and they are still in the Wrath mindset, and we didn't really CC at all, and the healer was running out of mana.
It's not all ez-facerollmode anymore. I'm enjoying it!
DayDreamer Dec 10th 2010 11:54AM
Interesting to hear that they use their guts more than their toolkits go gauge decisions, especially in regard to player feedback.
I suppose on the one hand it means there's a potential for more bias; but no matter how complicated, I can't imagine a toolkit can ever get too close to calculating reality in a matter like this.
It's too bad we never really get to see behind the scenes, since that would give competition an edge.
Also interesting to see the dynamics of the people, both the WoW people, and the G4 people: The host's face turning read as he compared MMORPGs to dating, in front of who I think was his wife (FAUX PAS! You're never going to get to play again, buddy.) ; I noticed the WoW guy on the left taking jabs at the guy on the right at least twice, being addressed with questions more from the girl in the middle, and having a much quieter voice, perhaps only because he was farther away from the mic.
I see the guy on the left is the world designer Alex Afrasiabi, while the guy on the right is the game designer Tom Chilton.
Aceman67 Dec 10th 2010 2:01PM
No, Morgen Webb is his Co-Host of X-Play, and the Leah Jackson is a Columnist and Reviewer for G4TV, neither one is related to Adam in anyway.
LordoftheNoobs Dec 10th 2010 3:20PM
Alex looks worried. Hope everything is going well.
langiszero Dec 10th 2010 2:44PM
I like how some of you talk about wit like you know the first thing about it.
Anywho, yeah, my post was inflammatory. It was also accurate, except the part where I didn't mention Kalgan, who thinks that his game qualifies as a sport when sides are, BY DESIGN, uneven. So whoops on that one.
Hey don't y'all love how like/dislike systems prevent you from having to actually think? I know I do. I'm a lazy guy.
langiszero Dec 10th 2010 2:46PM
I like how some of you talk about wit like you know the first thing about it.
Anywho, yeah, my post was inflammatory. It was also accurate, except the part where I didn't mention Kalgan, who thinks that his game qualifies as a sport when sides are, BY DESIGN, uneven. So whoops on that one.
Hey don't y'all love how like/dislike systems prevent you from having to actually think? I know I do. I'm a lazy guy.
Tuhljin Dec 10th 2010 5:19PM
Hate is not wit.
Cotterpin Dec 10th 2010 7:59PM
Where is the obligatory "Afrasiabi" NPC in this expansion?
QQinsider Dec 11th 2010 1:24PM
Actually I'm not blown away. Compared to the TBC and Wrath expansions this one is underwhelming. The quest-on-rails system has no challenge at all except for the competition for quest mobs with fellow players. The talent system has been so santitized and gives so little choice now that they might as take it out and stop at pressing the first button to choose your spec. It feels like this game has regressed by at least 5 years. Being back Kaplan, at least he knew what makes a mmorpg fun to play.
The new Blizzard quest design for dummies;
1. Get 3 quests from quest giver
2. Kill x mobs
3. Collect y things
4. Find/kill one special z
5. Turn in quests
6. Repeat until L85